A Lonely Me, A Lonely You
by Sweet Little Mary Sue
Summary: Mattea Malone was many things to Tony Stark, his personal assistant, his shoulder to lean on, when he needed it, his ear to whisper in, when he trusted no one else to listen. She was sometimes his advisor, and always his friend, but there was one role that she wanted to fill more than any other...
1. Chapter One

A Lonely Me, A Lonely You

Sweet Little Mary Sue

Synopsis: Mattea Malone was many things to Tony Stark, his personal assistant, his shoulder to lean on, when he needed it, his ear to whisper in, when he trusted no one else to listen. She was sometimes his advisor, and always his friend, but there was one role that she wanted to fill more than any other. It was the one thing that she'd dreamed of, the secret that she'd hidden for five years, and she knew that she had to tell him the truth, but how? Her opportunity comes at the worst time, when a decision is made that will drastically change their relationship with one another, and they have to decide if anything good can be saved from feelings that have their roots in pain.

Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story, except my OC, Mattie, and any and all additional characters and ideas that spring forth from my imagination.

Author's Note: I would like to begin by saying that I love the relationship between Tony and Pepper. I think that they're a wonderful couple, and they have amazing chemistry with one another. That being said, my writing style has always been, and will always be, to pair an established character with an OC, and, should you choose to proceed with this story, I hope that you will enjoy the relationship that develops between Tony and Mattie.

Rating Warning: This work of fanfiction is rated **M** for violence, mild to moderate cursing, a scene of forced sex, not rape, but still compulsory intimacy, and eventual citrus, both limes and lemons.

Chapter One

_Prologue _

_June 2012_

Mattie's POV

"You're mad at me, aren't you?"

I couldn't say for certain why I bothered to roll my eyes, given that my back was turned to him, but it seemed to be something that happened of its own accord most times whenever he got us into this type of situation and started asking me stupid questions, so I decided that it couldn't be helped. I could roll my eyes, and shake my head, and mutter all sorts of uncomplimentary things under my breath, any and all of these things, in order to keep myself from wringing his neck with my bare hands. I suppose that it might have been easier, in the long run, to murder him, because a life spent in prison had to have been a breeze compared to my current existence, but I just couldn't do it…I loved him too much, and the idea of a life spent without him sounded like hell to me.

"I'm too busy looking for a way out to be mad," I muttered, searching the walls for any signs of weakness, even though I knew that it was a waste of time for me to do so. The bastards who'd taken us hostage were thorough in everything that they did, and while our cell might have looked like it was thrown together with spit and duct tape, there was no doubt that it was well-constructed, and offered no easy way to escape. "Ask me again later, when I'm not trying to survive a hellish scenario like the one we're in right now, and I might be able to find the time to chew on your ass for a half-hour or so."

I heard him chuckle, and almost responded in kind, but thankfully I managed to stifle the sound before it could escape me. Tony was enough trouble when I didn't remind him in some way that I was putty in his hands. The last thing that I needed was to give him reason to suspect that he could get away with murder where I was concerned, just so long as he smiled and cracked jokes while he worked.

"Ooh, Miss Malone, if I didn't know any better, I'd think that you were flirting with me," he said teasingly, moving to stand beside me and run his hands over the wall, mimicking my movements, even though he had to know, just as well as I did, that there was no way that we could escape our cell. "Don't tell me that we've finally found a way to break through that stuffy librarian façade that you're so careful to keep in place."

There went my eyes again, though I was fairly certain that he noticed the movement that time, given that he was standing right beside me. "That's right, Mr. Stark," I said softly, and very sarcastically. "There's nothing that gets me hotter than the prospect of torture and murder at the hands of a bunch of fanatical loonies, and given that we're locked in here together, why shouldn't I work off some of this pent-up _energy_ with you, sir…unless, of course, the idea is too repulsive for you to even consider it."

I could feel my face turning red as I watched him turn and look my way from the corner of my eye. I would have loved to have been able to hide from him, even just a little, but there was nowhere for me to go. I was trapped, out in the open, and I could feel the burning that was born from my embarrassment moving from my face down my neck, then further, to tint the slopes of my breasts. I knew that I had to have been very humorous sight to behold, but surprisingly enough, Tony didn't laugh at me, he didn't do anything for several moments, aside from staring at me, and I began to wonder if I'd shocked him so completely that he'd lost the ability to speak altogether.

"You don't repulse me, Miss Malone," he said softly, and there was something in his voice that made me want to look at him, even though common sense ought to have dictated that I look everywhere and anywhere that _wasn't_ aimed in his direction. "As a matter of fact, I find you quite….."

My eyes had moved to his while he was speaking to me, I just couldn't help myself, and there was something in his gaze that made my heart skip a beat, there were emotions that I could see in his eyes that made me weak in the knees. I could not say what my own gaze was like when I looked at him, in those moments when I would allow my true emotions to show, but I could imagine that they resembled what I saw looking back at me right then. He moved closer to me as we stared at one another, and he was on the brink of telling me what he thought of me, words that I was certain would cause a fluttery feeling to come to life within my tummy…and then the door opened and everything went straight to hell.

Tony's POV

I should have listened to Mattie. Damn, I ought to get that tattooed on my forehead, so everyone would see it, including me, when I looked in the mirror, which I tended to do from time to time. It was becoming something of a mantra for me, a song that I couldn't get out of my head, with lyrics that I knew by heart, and I had to wonder why it was so hard for me to get the point. After all, I wasn't a stupid man, in spite of my tendency toward behavior that smacked of danger and recklessness, and I should have realized, after all this time, that Mattie would never give me bad advice, but for some reason I ignored occasionally ignored her, and now we were paying the price for my stupidity…an expense which, I feared, would prove highest where Mattie was concerned, unless my subsequent guilt for what was being done would be enough to put me on her level of suffering.

"You can say 'I told you so' if you want to," I murmured, turning to look at her as I spoke, an action which encouraged the burly henchman who was marching behind me to nudge me in the back, and when I say _nudge_, I meant that he dug the baton that he was carrying in his right hand in the center of my spine and propelled me forward, damn near knocking me down in the process, which would have been an ugly, not to mention painful, experience, given that my hands were tied behind my back. "You have every right to do so, because you were right, once more, and I was an idiot, once more, and I think that….."

"I think that we ought to have this discussion later, once you've figured a way out of this mess that you've gotten us into," she interrupted, staring straight ahead and executing a perfect double time march that would have made any drill sergeant beam with pride. "Besides which, I've come to the conclusion that it's a waste of my time to keep saying the same four words over and over again, given that you're never going to actually _hear_ them and learn from them. Maybe you should just get a t-shirt to wear, with my face and….."

Hers words were cut short as her guard _nudged_ her in the back and made her stumble, only she couldn't keep her footing and ended up sprawled out on the floor. I wanted to help her up, I moved toward her with that purpose in mind, even though my hands were tied, but found myself slammed against the wall instead. The guards stood above Mattie, who couldn't stand on her own, given that she was tied in the same way that I was, and they began to talk about her, saying things that I knew she couldn't understand, evil, disgusting, _filthy_ things, and I could feel my temper growing stronger with each word that they spoke.

"She belongs to me," I told them, in their language, because now was not the time, and it definitely wasn't the place, for me to give Mattie a head's up about my feelings for her. "From the top of her head to the tips of her toes, she is mine in every way, and if you touch what is mine, if you sully her in any way, I will burn this place to the ground, and I will use your dicks as kindling, my friends… that is, I will, if I can start a fire with something that is so small."

It was a bad idea to make fun of a man's penis at any time, it was even worse than poking fun at his mother, but it was something that might have been deemed as suicidal behavior if one chose to do so while they were bound and essentially helpless. To be perfectly honest, I'd known, even as I'd started to speak, that the two muscle-bound goons were going to do their best to rearrange my bone structure with their batons for hurting their feelings, but I was willing to take a beating, I was willing to let them stomp my guts out, I would take whatever they dished out, just so long as they left Mattie alone.

Thankfully for me, the man in charge intervened on my behalf before they could hit me too many times. I got the feeling that he would like to watch them batter and bruise me for hours on end, until there was no sign of life in my body, but he wasn't ready for them to do so at that moment. He had other punishments in store for me, ones which would prove to be much worse than any beating, no matter how severe, would have been, and he was eager to proceed with them, as a matter of fact, he was damn near drooling as his eyes scanned the room…then landed, and lingered, on Mattie.

"Is it true, what you just said, Mr. Stark?" the head honcho asked softly, in very intelligible and impressively cultured English, which meant that I was thoroughly screwed. "Is she yours by right? Have you thoroughly marked and claimed her as your own? Or was that merely an attempt on your part to intimidate my man, should your little threat prove insufficient on its own?"

Damn. How the hell was I supposed to respond to that?

"Yes," I said, deciding, in the end, that it was best to stick with the truth, because I couldn't be bothered with keeping lies straight at that moment, and, besides which, it was past time for me to reveal myself to Mattie. Granted, this wasn't the ideal moment, it wasn't even in the top ten, but it was this or nothing, and I was willing to do damn near anything to keep the two of us alive…..

It was kind of funny, in a way that wasn't a damned bit funny, how easily that thought could come to your mind in a time like this one. You swore to yourself that you were willing to do anything, but you never bothered to consider the possibility that you might have to do so. It was kind of like that promise, "cross my heart and hope to die". No one wants to die, and they certainly have no intention of doing so, not even if they break their promise, but how many people swear their life away like it was nothing? What if one day Death came to collect on everyone that had reneged on their word? That would be a sight to behold, wouldn't it? Yep, it would be hell on everyone, if we had no choice but to keep our word, even if we'd only given it in our thoughts…and it was a hell that I would know well on this day, as I was forced to acknowledge my words in the worst possible way.

"Well, that settles that," the boss man said happily, leaning back in his chair, to rub his hands together, like an overgrown kid who was surveying the wealth beneath his family's Christmas tree and pondering which present he ought to open first. "You see, Mr. Stark, I am a man who derives pleasure from watching others, it is much more exciting for me, to observe others in, shall we say, _action_, and though I had initially planned on giving Miss Malone to my men, to do with her as they pleased, I now believe that it would be much more exciting to see you with her instead."

Oh, shit…this could not be happening, could it?

"I know that you are a confident man," he continued, "arrogant even, and a man with your ego demands that a woman feel pleasure when he is taking her. A narcissistic man will not be pleased if he does not receive positive feedback and encouragement. He will do whatever is necessary to obtain a standing ovation, even if it is a false accolade, and that is why I believe that you would provide me with a show that is much more entertaining than my men, who would undoubtedly only make Miss Malone cry and beg them to leave her be. It is not the pain that excites me, Mr. Stark, it is what the force and the pain inspire, the subservience and eagerness to please which they bring to the surface, and I know that you can inspire that sort of reaction in Miss Malone…if she really and truly belongs to you, as you say she does."

Mattie's POV

The man in charge allowed us to shower first. It was a spacious stall which, thankfully, was clean and provided us with an abundance of hot water. There was shampoo and a bar of soap, we'd even been given washcloths, so we wouldn't have to use our hands…unless we wanted to…..

Oh, God…where had that thought come from? Maybe it was the shock of being kidnapped that was finally hitting me. It was probably the knowledge that I was about to have sex with the man that I loved for the first time in full view of the man who was holding us hostage and God knows how many of his henchmen, maybe that was making me a little unsteady in the head. Or it could have been the fact that Tony had just "claimed" me as his…hell, it could have been all of these things and more. That made sense, didn't it? It was feasible, wasn't it?

We hadn't spoken to one another on the way to the bathroom, not one word, and nothing since the door had shut behind the guards, even though we were alone and could have said whatever we wanted. I was silent because, like I'd already said, I was in shock, and I wondered if that was what was keeping Tony quiet as well. He wasn't a reserved man by nature, as a matter of fact, he was the exact opposite, for the most part, so it had to have been disbelief that was making him behave so differently…that or guilt, I suppose…..

I'd turned my back when he'd started undressing, even though I was curious, to say the very least, to see him naked, and he'd kept his distance while he shed his clothing, but now he was standing behind me, and his hands moved to cover mine, to halt them as I unbuttoned my blouse.

"Let me," he whispered, slowly unfastening each button after I moved my hands. It was an unreal and stirringly erotic experience, to have him standing behind me, knowing he was naked, _feeling_ that he was naked, and have him remove my clothing. My shirt hung open, loose, for just a moment, and then he drew it down my arms and off of my body. I felt his hand on my hair after that, drawing it aside, to bare my nape, as he unhooked my bra and drew the strap down my left arm, touching his lips to my shoulder, kissing his way across, until he reached my neck, and then he did the same to the other shoulder, until I was naked from the waist up.

I ought to have been embarrassed, there should have been a blush on my face, but I was too caught up in the feel of his lips gliding across my skin, I was too busy shivering with pleasure as I concentrated my attention on his mouth, and the proof of his arousal, pressed close against my backside…and the shocking roughness of his palms, as they cupped my breasts and tormented my achingly hard nipples.

"_Tony_," I moaned, not Mr. Stark, as I would normally say, because one, he had my bare breasts in his hands and was pressing his erection against my bottom, and two, because he was going to be inside of me soon, and Mr. Stark seemed a little too formal for that sort of thing.

He continued to tease me for several moments, sliding his hands down, so he could stroke my nipples with his fingertips, and then he turned me around and drew me close in his arms. His hands were calming, yet also rousing, as they stroked the length of my back, and he watched me for several moments, simply staring into my eyes and offering me the opportunity to do the same to him.

"May I kiss you?" he asked softly, as if he hadn't already done so…which, now that I thought about it, I realized he hadn't, at least, not in the way that I wanted the most. I couldn't say the word aloud, I just couldn't do it, so I nodded instead, once, then twice, in case he missed it, and held my breath as he lowered his head, my eyelids fluttering, then closing, when I felt the warmth of his breath on my lips.

His touch was gentle, stirringly so, searching and sweet, and I lost myself completely to him, I gave myself completely to him, lending credence to the words that he'd spoken to the thugs who'd stolen us from our camp. I _did_ belong to him; I _was_ his, even if I could only have him for this little while. I poured everything into that kiss, all of my heart and soul, and I gasped against his mouth when I felt his hands unfastening, and removing my jeans, followed quickly by my panties, until I was just as naked as he was, prompting him to part my lips with his tongue and taste me completely.

We stayed that way for several moments, content just to savor and explore, and then he lifted me into his arms and carried me into the shower. He turned on the water and closed the curtain behind us, then set me down, to rest on my feet, while his hands cupped my face as he kissed me again. I was so caught up in that kiss, and in his hard, muscled body pressed so close to mine, that I didn't notice his right hand moving down my neck until it stroked its way along my breast, then further and further, until it slid down my tummy, then slowly made its way between my thighs…..

Tony's POV

I could lose myself in her eyes…oh, God, that sounded like a line out of a sappy monster ballad, didn't it? Oh, well, that didn't make it any less true. I wasn't the sort of man who got a thrill out of exhibitionist behavior, but I was able to get past that fact by staring into her eyes. There were so many things that I'd meant to say to her in that bathroom. I'd needed to tell her that I didn't want to rape her. I'd wanted to assure her that I would rather die doing my damnedest to kill all of them before I'd take her by force, but all of those thoughts had gone the way of the dodo when it dawned on me that I was, quite literally, starkassed naked in a tiny room with her. From that moment on I'd transformed into a man bent on seduction and I hadn't looked back.

I'd known that she would be soft and shapely. There was no clothing, save for a burlap bag which covered her front head-to-toe, that could mask her curvaceous figure, but I'd never allowed myself to think about her body too much, for fear that I'd slip up and do and/or say something stupid in a moment of lascivious weakness. All of that had changed now, because I didn't just have to imagine it, I could feel it as well, and it was better than anything I could have ever envisioned…and that was really saying something, because I could imagine a lot.

Her thighs were soft and warm against my hips, and her legs, which were short, but well-formed, held me just as tightly as her arms were. Her breasts, the ones that filled my hands so nicely, pressed perfectly against my chest as I moved within her, and she let loose with a tiny gasp with every surge, and raised her back off of the bed, to rub her nipples more firmly against me.

I hadn't expected her to enjoy me so much. God knows that I'd wanted her to, even though we had an audience, because it would be a hell of a chore to hold on to my own excitement if I'd seen that she was in pain or frightened, and especially if she was disgusted. That was part of the reason why I'd seduced her in the bathroom…not the main part, or even a big part, but a part just the same…because I thought that it would be easier on both of us, if I made her come, just once, out of the sight and sound of the bastards who were currently cheering in the background, and in the end I'd done so twice…and now she was climbing the heights again…and no, that's not conceit, just facts, and you can bet your ass that the facts were making me gloat just a little…alright, alright, a lot, but not because of my tendency toward acting like an arrogant jerk.

The boss man and his goons were really starting to get into the show, which was understandable, given that it had almost reached its climax, but what they didn't know was that Mattie and I were both trained in art of Wing Chun kung fu, and we were planning to launch an attack once all was said and done…provided, of course, that we could get past the awkwardness of fighting naked.


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

_September 2012_

Tony's POV

I was supposed to be working, after all, that _was_ the line that I'd fed to Mattie, but I had a pretty good idea that scarfing down a couple of donuts and fantasizing about how she looked naked, while singing along with "Whole Lotta Love", would _not_ qualify as "work" in Miss Malone's opinion. She, on the other hand, _was_ working, sitting at a desk upstairs, answering the phone and doing all of the other stuff that was part of her life as my personal assistant. She would be dwarfed by that desk, she would look so tiny and almost helpless sitting behind it, with her legs properly crossed…making the knee length hem of that black skirt that perfectly cupped her ass rise a couple of inches, to show the barest hint of thigh…..

I shook my head and tried to make that image take a hike…and it did…only to be replaced by one of her sitting up straight in her chair, to stretch her back, so that her breasts were thrown into prominence, to remind me of how perfectly they filled my hands. She was wearing a blouse that reminded me of something that someone's granny might wear, if said granny had killer curves that made the plain black shirt with its white lace trim a siren call that drew my eyes to her breasts each and every time that I saw her…and then there were her heels to consider…..

"No…not the heels," I whispered, closing my eyes and bending over, to place my forehead against my worktable. "Why do you keep on torturing yourself this way? I think that you might be in danger of becoming a full-blown masochist, and how is that fun, can you tell me that, hmm?"

"I do not believe that torture or true masochism could ever be described as 'fun', sir," Jarvis answered matter-of-factly, making me wish that I had the ability to talk to myself _silently_, even though I knew that it was a lost cause to hope for, because I _always_ talked to myself out loud, otherwise the term didn't make any sense. "I know that there are those who would disagree with my opinion, but I cannot accept the notion that pain could ever be 'fun'. By definition alone, the reasoning is unsound, because….."

"I wasn't asking you to argue the case against masochism with me, Jarvis!" I shouted, raising my head, but not opening my eyes…which proved to be a mistake. "To be perfectly honest, I was talking to _myself_, not to you, therefore I wasn't expecting an answer at all…especially one that didn't take into account the fact that it can be fun, from time to time, to indulge in a little consensual erotic spanking, both giving and receiving….."

"Sir?" Jarvis asked, rudely interrupting me, even though it had to be obvious to him that I wasn't at a pausing point in my spiel.

"…..as long as you don't get _too_ rough. I even like to be tied up from time to time, as long as the binds are something soft, but there's no need for you to share that tidbit with anyone, Jarvis. Can you imagine what people would say, if they knew that Tony Stark, control freak extraordinaire, liked to be tied to the bed with long, silk, preferably red, scarves? Wouldn't that throw them for a loop? They probably think that I insist on being on top all of the time as well, when the truth of the matter is that I _love_ to be the one on bottom….."

"Sir?" he asked, breaking into the conversation once more, sounding a bit more forceful than he had the first time, but unfortunately I was on a roll, and would not be stopped until I'd had my say.

"…..because being on bottom gives you a _wonderful_ view of the woman's breasts, bobbing up and down, up and down, while she rides you like a bouncy-breasted naughty cowgirl. It's been so long since I've had a woman ride me, Jarvis. I would like to ridden again, but how do I ask….?"

"_Please_, sir….,"

"What is it, Jarvis?" I snapped, relishing the image of Mattie rising and falling on me, losing myself in the dirty picture show that was running in a loop through my mind's eye. "I'm busy doing nothing, in case you hadn't noticed, and I can't waste any time with idle chitchat….."

"I apologize for interrupting you, sir, but I thought that you might be interested to know that Miss Malone has come with a message for you….."

"Well, hell," I muttered, closing my eyes tighter, as if that would help, even though I knew it wouldn't. "She's standing in the doorway, isn't she, Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir, she certainly is."

Crap.

"And she's been there for some time, hasn't she, Jarvis?"

"Yes, sir, she certainly has."

Damn.

"Could you give me an idea of how long she's been listening to me, so I can gauge how much trouble I'm in, Jarvis?"

"_She_ can speak for herself," Mattie murmured, sounding suitably pissed, though I thought, or, rather, _hoped_, that I heard a touch of humor in her tone as well. "And _she's_ been standing here since 'consensual and erotic spanking'."

Shit.

She didn't realize that everything that I'd said had been with her in the starring role. _She_ was the one woman I wanted to spank, that I wanted to spank _me_. When I thought of a woman tying me to the bed, it was _her_ tightening the knots. _She_ was the one I wanted riding me; hers were the bouncing breasts that I wanted to watch and to hold and to tease…and taste. She seemed to be oblivious to the fact that she was irresistible to me. She didn't seem to notice that I had a hard-on whenever she was close to me. It was almost as if she thought I'd only wanted her that one time. Why couldn't she see that nothing had changed? Why didn't she realize that I still wanted her, that I still _needed_ her?

"I'm sorry, Mattie," I murmured, slowly opening my eyes, to face her, even though I would have preferred to hide until she left me to wallow in my shame…and in the torment of unrequited longing…until I grew disgusted with myself. "I didn't know that you were there. I know that I say things that I shouldn't all the time, but I wouldn't have said something like I did, if I'd known that you were listening to me….."

"You don't have to apologize to me, Mr. Stark," she said, using a quiet, matter-of-fact tone that reminded me of Jarvis'.

It irritated the hell out of me, to hear her call me Mr. Stark instead of Tony. I'd been Tony when I was naked, so why in the hell was I Mr. Stark now that I had my clothes on? That pissed me off and it was even worse when she spoke to me in that calm and collected tone that Jarvis favored. I wanted emotion from her. I wanted to see her eyes spark at me again. I wanted them to shine at me. I wanted her voice to rise and fall with her feelings. I wanted…I wanted…I wanted…her.

"Well, I'm pretty sure that you didn't come down here to get an earful about my sexual preferences and proclivities, did you?" I asked, aiming for a tone that was carefree in nature and failing miserably. "So what is it that has led you to my door, _Mattie_?"

I wasn't going to call her Miss Malone. She'd stopped being Miss Malone in my mind a long time ago and there was no way that I could go back, not after what had happened between us. She had been Mattie when we were locked in that cell, she'd been oh my _God_, Mattie when she'd been naked, and she was _my_ Mattie now and forever…oh, hell, there I went again, with the sap and the lovey-dovey crap that should have made me want to puke my guts out.

"You have two visitors, Mr. Stark," she said, breaking through my thoughts with that sexy voice that I knew, from experience, took on a whimpering tone when she came…and now I had an erection…one that grew more prominent in nature as I watched her make her way across the room, hips swaying, breasts shimmying, until my mouth was watering and my heart was pounding furiously in my chest. "I know that you said that you didn't want to be disturbed, but they both insist that it is a matter of life and death….."

Well, that was just great, wasn't it? Two matters of life and death, and I had to listen, consider and more likely than not, fix, them all while I tried to ignore the fact that my pants were uncomfortably tight in the crotch, due to my raging hard-on. It would be better for me if they'd both just go away, but that was unlikely to happen, wasn't it, given that they were both emergencies…at least they'd better be.

"A visit from you is never an interruption, Mattie," I said softly, aiming for and achieving a tone that was seductive in nature. Unfortunately, my victory was short-lived as the effect was ruined by the hiss of pain that escaped me when the crotch of my pants seemed to shrink another inch or two as I caught a whiff of her perfume. "It would be nice if you would _interrupt_ me at least three times a day, if you know what I mean….."

Two voices rang out simultaneously; thoroughly destroying any and all attempts that I may have made to test my proficiency where double-entendres were concerned.

"I hate to disappoint you, Mr. Stark, but I'm afraid that Miss Malone is interrupting you on my behalf."

"Tony, you promised that you would be my date to the Hensley Foundation gala celebration. You gave me your word, and you can't back out on me, so why haven't I heard from you? Why have you been hiding from me? You better not be looking for a way out of our date, because you promised me and I'm not going to leave until you convince me that you haven't forgotten about me….."

I tilted my head to the side, to look around Mattie, and saw that two banes of my existence had made their way inside my lair. It would have been bad enough, to be plagued by one of them, but both of them were sure signs that I was being punished for my wicked ways…not to mention the fact that my security system was something of a joke.

"Agent Coulson," I said, nodding at the man who kind of reminded me of a human version of Jarvis, with the added irritation of being a clean-cut, all-American choirboy. "Miss Dennis," I said, attempting to smile at the blonde who'd shared my bed a year before, but my lips refused to comply with the request. It was no secret that I'd been a bit of a whore at one time, in more ways than one, but it was hard to believe that I'd ever been attracted to this woman who was obviously as fake as a Barbie from head-to-toe. "I'm afraid that I don't have any conferencing appointments open this afternoon, but I'm sure that Mattie would be happy to schedule something for you in the future….."

"This won't wait, Mr. Stark," Phil said, digging in his heels and speaking in a quiet, yet matter-of-fact tone which, once more, brought Jarvis to mind. "And I'm not leaving until I know that we can count on you to give us your help."

"The gala is tomorrow night, Tony! You haven't okayed any of the choices that I made for you! I need to know whether you chose the tangerine or the aubergine! How else will I know I match? You're doing this deliberately, aren't you? You want to embarrass me in front of everyone, don't you? You were lying when you said that you were crazy about me, you just wanted someone in your bed and you were willing to say anything….."

I looked at Mattie, in the hope that she might save me, but one glance at her face as she took in the spectacle of Amber Dennis in meltdown mode told me that she could not be counted on to offer her assistance. I knew that she was familiar with my past, but I don't think she realized how much it humiliated me, to remember the way I'd been and she believed that I was still that man. She seemed to think that I viewed her as another notch on my bedpost, which couldn't be further from the truth, and that would make her reluctant to save me…wouldn't it?

"I'm afraid that Mr. Stark has made a mistake," she said, her voice taking on that tone that she used when she answered the phone, that quietly polite quality that made her sound like a stranger to me. "He _does_ have time to confer with one of you. Will a half-hour be sufficient, Agent Coulson, or should I clear his schedule for the remainder of the afternoon?"

Aw, she _did_ care. She wouldn't have saved me from the bleached blonde bimbo if she didn't like me…so why in the hell had she saddled me with Phil?

Mattie's POV

What had he ever seen in that Dennis woman? I mean, I knew that some men tended to be a little shallow when it came to females, especially if they were Tony Stark, but she was absolutely repellant. My ears had taken fifteen minutes of abuse after I'd escorted her, by force, out of Tony's domain, and I'd borne it as politely as I could the entire time…but then she'd gone too far. I might have been able to take more of her ranting and raving without losing my temper, but then she'd added insults to the mix, the sort that had to do with my "fat ass" and I'd decided that I'd taken all that I needed to take.

I'd spent the remainder of the afternoon waiting for the police to arrive and take me into custody, because a backhanded blow to the face, first one cheek and then the other, definitely qualified as assault, but they'd never arrived. I'd finished all of my work by four, and had spent the remaining two hours organizing all of my files and cleaning everything in sight, until the hour arrived when I was permitted to leave…but I didn't want to leave.

I knew that Tony was busy, I knew that he would stay that way all night and that meant that he wouldn't take the time to eat. It was probably pathetic of me to worry about him and fuss over him the way that I did, but I just couldn't help myself. I'd loved him for too long to stop now, even though I'd long since accepted that what had happened between us had been a onetime thing. He hadn't claimed me for life, just for that moment, to save me from being raped and that was in the past. It didn't matter that it was the most amazing thing that had ever happened to me. It was over now, it wouldn't happen again and I was just going to have to accept the facts of my life, whether I liked them or not.

I seasoned and grilled a chicken breast, then sliced it and arranged it on a grilled ciabatta bun with romaine lettuce and a couple of slices of tomato. I paired the sandwich with some of the pasta salad that I'd stuck in the fridge that morning and grabbed a chilled bottle of water on my way out of the kitchen, placing everything on a tray with a stack of napkins and a fork. My stomach rumbled as the delicious smells met and filled my nose and I hurried my steps as I made my way to his playroom, with the hope that I'd be able to resist the urge to filch a nibble or two off of his plate.

He was hunched over his worktable, studying the files that Agent Coulson had brought him, just as I'd known he would be. His glasses were perched on his nose, his hair was ruffled and he'd raised the sleeves of his shirt, to show his beautifully muscled forearms. How was it possible for someone to exude sexiness so casually, when most people had to make a concerted effort to do so and usually fell short in their endeavor? It was no wonder that he had women hunting him down. It was something that was to be expected with a man like him…but that didn't mean that I had to like it, or accept it, did it?

Oh, God. Cinderella was playing in the background, "Don't Know What You've Got (Till It's Gone)", and the sound made my steps falter for a moment. I lingered in the doorway, tightening my grip on the tray in my hands until it hurt. I knew exactly what I'd had when I'd had him, but now that was gone. I still loved him and wanted him and needed him, but all of my feelings were one-sided and that was the way that they'd always be.

My grip on the tray made it shake and the plate rattled against the fork, drawing his attention from the file that he was studying to me. His lips immediately curved into a smile and his eyes lit up as they locked with mine, which made my heart feel all fluttery within my chest. I took a couple of deep breaths, in the hope that I could calm myself somewhat, but I needn't have bothered, because I was always, without fail, hot and bothered whenever he was near.

"You didn't have to do that, Mattie," he said softly, pulling off his glasses and laying them on top of the file. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate you taking care of me, but I don't want you to think that I'm taking advantage of you…not unless that's what you want me to do."

I needed another deep breath…then another…before I was able to cross the room and place the tray on the table. I didn't know why he insisted on flirting with me. I mean, I understood that it was in his nature to do so with most females, but there were moments when I was feeling particularly vulnerable, like this one, when I was more inclined to believe that he meant it. These were the times that I had to be extra careful to hold him at bay by keeping things as professional as they could be. These were the moments when I had to build up my walls as high as I could manage, which wasn't easy, especially when he was looking at me the way he was right then.

"I like to take care of you," I told him, cursing inwardly as I told the truth, when I'd promised myself that I would lie. I tried to avoid looking directly into his eyes, but in the end I just couldn't help but indulge myself. He had the most expressive eyes that I'd ever seen, when he wasn't hiding what he felt and all that it took was one glance to remember how they'd looked as he'd made love to me…no, no, _no_…I couldn't think about that, I _wouldn't_ think about that…..

"But you're not taking care of yourself, are you, Mattie?" he asked, moving his hand, to point at the solitary meal…and tracing a fingertip over the back of my hand as he did so. "You're going to share this with me and let me rub your shoulders afterward, because you're all tensed up and need a good massage….."

Oh, God…that sounded wonderful. "You don't have to worry about me, Mr. Stark," I whispered, trying desperately to sound firm and distant, but, big surprise, I failed miserably. "I'm going to clean up your kitchen and then I'll fix something for myself when I get home. My muscles _are_ tense, but it's nothing that a little ibuprofen and a hot shower won't cure….."

"Let me take care of you for a change," he murmured, quieting me with a fingertip pressed firmly against my lips. "Let me pamper you and be half as sweet to you as you are to me…and would you please call me Tony while I do it, hmm? That would make me happy, Mattie, to hear you say my name again. You haven't said it in months and I miss hearing it…I miss hearing you….."

His hand moved to cup my cheek and he caressed my mouth with his thumb. I was standing still, I was frozen in shock, and I refused to listen to the tiny voice in my head that told me to move away from him. The wise old sage that usually gave me such good advice was suddenly irritating to me, and I wanted her to go away. I had a feeling that Tony was going to kiss me, a wonderful, giddy sense of anticipation that was making me tremble all over, from head-to-toe, and I wasn't about to let my inner voice ruin the moment for me.

He moved his face closer to mine, stroking my lips and staring into my eyes. "Say my name, Mattie," he whispered, dipping his head, to caress my cheek with his mouth. "Please say it, baby…please say my name."

There was no way that I could deny him, I could never deny him anything. "Tony," I murmured, puckering my lips, to kiss the tip of his thumb, and then I grew bold and opened my mouth, to trace it with my tongue. The change in him was instantaneous. He pulled me into his arms, holding me tightly and lowering his head once more, to kiss me in a way that I knew would make me weak in the knees…until his cell rang, which was enough to spoil the mood, and if that hadn't done it, the announcement that that it was Amber Dennis who was calling would have ruined it completely.


	3. A Note From Mary Sue

Hello Readers,

I have decided that it would be best to concentrate my attention on updating and completing the stories that are winding down to an end before I continue with my newer works. That means that everything newish will have to be put on hiatus for a short time until all of the others on my to-do list are done.

The first work that will be on the line for completion is _Always Faithful_, which has three chapters left. The second will be _Someone to Watch over Me_, which will be finished in six more chapters. The third story in line is _Too Good To Be True_, which has five more chapters, and the fourth and final work on this list is _Your Eyes Betray Your Words_, which will reach its ending in six more chapters.

I know that this will have a lot of you waiting a good, long while for your updates, if you are not interested in any of the stories that I am going to concentrate on, and I apologize for that. Rest assured that I will return to them, once I have given these others the attention and completion that they deserve.

Thank you, as always, for your patience and your support,

~Miss Mary


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